Wire stretcher



Sept. 22, 1925.

- 1,554,588 B. LEHMAN WIRE STRETCHER Filed July 24. 1924 Patented Sept.22, 1925.

UNITED STATES BOID LEHMAN, 0F MANHA TAN, MONTANA.

WIRE s'rnn'ronnn. 1

Application filed. July 24, 1924. Serial ms. 727,968.

hatt-an, in the county'of Gallatin and State of Montana, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Wire Stretchers, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings.

This invention relates to wire stretcher-s and more particularly to adevice of this character suitable for use in stringing fences and thelike.

An important object of the invent-ion is to provide a device of thischaracter which may be very cheaply and readily produced, which isdurable and eflicient in service and a general improvement in the art.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improvedwire clamp for use in connection with such stretchers.

These and other object-s I attain by the construction shown in theaccompanying drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is showna preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein Figure 1 is aperspective view of a wire stretcher constructed in accordance with myinvention Figure 2 is an enlarged detail sectional view through thespindle and associated parts;

Figure 3 is a perspective of the wire clamp.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, 1 bend the shaftintermediate its ends to provide an operating section 10 and a handlesection '11, the outer or free end of the handle section being againbent to provide a crank 12 by means of which the handle may theoperated. The operating section is provided adjacent the bend with anenlargement or flange collar 13 which may be either integral with theshaft or secured thereto, the prior construction being herein shown. Aswivel 14 is placed upon the operating end 10 above this flange, theswivel being in the form of an oval endless loop. Against the outer faceof the swivel a washer 15 is disposed, this washer being held inposition by a sleeve 16which is in turn abutted by a second washer 17.Upon the end of the operating section is mounted a nut 17. a a a i Thesleeve 16 is secured to the shaft and in' elfect provides anenlargemento-f the shaft, so that the swivel 14; is located be tween twocollars on the shaft, and at the outer end of the enlargement a. thirdcollar is provided by the washer 17. Thus the enlarged portion of theshaft forms a drum and to this drum is secured one end of a flexibleelement 18" having secured thereto a wire clamp 19. The swivel hassecured thereto a second flexible element 20, intermediate the ends ofwhich is secured a wire clamp 21 identical with the wire clamp 19 and atthe end of which is secured a hook 22. Swiveled upon the handle 12 is abook 28, the purpose of which will presently appear.

In the use of the device, if two ends of wires are to be drawn togetherand spliced, the hook 22 is engaged with the operating section 10between the nut 17* and washer 17 and the wire clamps 19 and 21 arebrought into play, one being engaged with one end of one wire, while theother is engaged with the opposite end of the other wire. These wireclamps each consist of a strip of metal bent intermediate its ends toprovide a wire attaching portion 24 and a wire securing portion 25. Thewire securing portion has an opening 26 formed therein which preferablytapers toward the outer end of the wire securing portion or that endmost remote from the operating section 10 of the shaft. Entrance to thisopening is had through a notch 27 of a size just suflicient to permitpassage of the wire 28 which is to be secured. Coacting with thisopening is a taper pin 29, the small end of which is inserted in theopening after the wire has been placed in the opening. The pin is thendriven in firmly, being entered through the opening from that side nextadjacent the operating section of the shaft, so that any tendency oh thewire to slip through the opening will tend to draw the pin 29 throughthe opening and increase the binding engagement of the wire with the pinand the opening 26 of the securing portion of the wire clamp. Theattaching portion 24 has an opening 30 formed therein which serves as ameans for attaching the flexible element thereto and also as a means forattaching thereto, by means of a flexible lead 31, the pin 29. After theends of the two Wires have been secured in position, the shaft isrotated until the wires are fully tightened, when the hook 23 is swungover one of the flexible elements 18 or 21 to prevent rotation of theclamp, this hook normally by gravity lying at the lower face of thehandle so that it does not interfere with rotation thereof. The splicingof the wire may then be readily accomplished. When it is desired toemploy the device to tighten the wire to a post, the end of the flexibleelement bearing the hook is passed about the post and the hook engagedwith the shaft section 10, as above described, and the clamp of theflexibleelement 21 engaged with the wire, after which the operation isthe same as above described. I It will, of course, be obvious that thestructure hereinbefore set forth is capable of a certain range of changeand modification without materially departing from the spirit of myinvention and I accordingly do not limit myself to such specificstructure except as hereinafter claimed.

In a wire stretcher, a shaft bent toprovide a handle portion and anoperating por tion, the operating portion being formed intermediate itsends with a flanged drum, a swivel engaged with the operating shaft atone side of the drum, a flexible element secured to the drum, a' secondflexible element secured to the swivel, and Wire clamps carried by saidflexible elements, and the wire clamp of the last named flexible elementbeing arranged intermediate the ends thereof, the end of the last namedflexible element having a hook adapted to rotatably engage the operatingsection of the shaft at the opposite end of the drum thereof from saidswivel. a v I In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

Born LEHMAN. 1

